Sharetribe is infinitely customizable with code. No matter the feature or change you need, it is always possible to achieve it with custom development. Use this marketplace to submit your feature requirements and receive proposals from Sharetribe Experts or to browse their profiles.

This guide will show you how to submit your requirements on the Expert marketplace. Requirements are sent to Experts, who can choose to reach out to learn more and help.

We require that you start a free Sharetribe trial account and test the no-code features of Sharetribe before using this marketplace. Experts extend Sharetribe starting from the out-of-the-box capabilities, so understanding the beginning point is critical to specifying well what should be built.

Start your free trial here.

You don’t need to code anything to build and operate a Sharetribe marketplace. Custom coding can be the next step when your marketplace needs changes or features that are not possible with the no-code builder.

No matter the size of the project, using custom code in your live marketplace always requires the Extend plan. So consider carefully when investing in custom coding makes sense for your business. Learn more about the costs of custom coding.

With personal experience of using Sharetribe, you’re well positioned to contact Experts with clear needs. You’re not committing to custom development by contacting Experts or submitting requirements. Custom development only starts when you sign a contract with an Expert.

The next section will show you step-by-step how to submit your requirements and how to review proposals from Experts.

1. Create an account

Create an account in the Sharetribe Experts marketplace by clicking “Sign up” in the top bar. Choose the user type “Marketplace founder”. Or click on this link to go directly to the founder signup.

Creating an account is quick and easy: just enter your email, name, and a password, and click to sign up. Verify your email address and you’re ready to submit your feature requirements (or contact Experts through profiles).

2. Submit your requirements

Click “Submit your requirements” on the landing page or the top bar. You’ll be directed to a form where you can specify your marketplace name, feature requirements and customization needs, and define a budget and timeline. The form has two steps: Details and Style.

Submit request details

The clearer your requirements, the more accurate proposals you’ll get. Here are some pointers and examples to help you create your request.

Marketplace name: Add your marketplace’s name or working title if you haven’t decided on a name yet.

Your marketplace URL: The URL of your live or test marketplace.

Describe your project or feature needs: Here’s where you share what you would like to add or change in your current Sharetribe marketplace. You might just want to add one crucial feature in the beginning or start a more comprehensive customization project.

If you have a list of features and changes, start with your most important requirement.

Sharetribe’s Help Center has a great article on how to prepare requirements for a developer, if you’d like to learn more about describing your customization needs.

How quickly do you need to start? Choose the option that best describes your project timeline.

• I'm exploring options – I'm assessing if Sharetribe is the right fit and learning about Experts.
• Soon - I’m moving forward, but I do not have a fixed launch date.
• As soon as possible - I am ready to start now, and timing is important.

What services do you need from an Expert? Select all the services you think you need from an Expert. It is okay if you are not exactly sure. You will discuss your requirements in detail with Experts and they will help you determine what services you need exactly.

• No-code setup: Configure and launch my marketplace using Sharetribe's built-in tools and settings.
• Zapier automation: Set up automated workflows connecting my marketplace with tools to reduce work.
• UI/UX design: Design my marketplace's interface, flows, visuals, and interactions.
• Custom code, small scope: Add a few features while mostly using Sharetribe's built-in features.
• Custom code, large scope: Build a more customized marketplace beyond Sharetribe’s built-in features.

What statement best describes your approach? Choose the option that best describes how you’re thinking about balancing your costs, timelines, and effort.

• I want to keep costs down where possible, even if it takes more time or hands-on effort from me.
• I want to balance my budget, timeline, and how much work I take on myself.
• I want to move quickly and rely more on the Expert, even if it costs more.

Choose a listing style

Select how your listing should be displayed on the marketplace (you have different color options).

Then, click Publish request. The Sharetribe team will review it and pass it on to Experts.

Published listings are public. They can be viewed by Experts and other users of the marketplace. They can be indexed by search engines like Google.

3. Get proposals

Once your request has been published, you’ll receive proposals from Experts based on the details you shared about your requirements. In your email inbox, keep an eye out for emails sent from hello@sharetribe.com with the subject line “You have received a new message”: this means you’ve received a new proposal.

Every proposal you receive creates a new message. All your proposals from Experts are located in the "Proposals from Experts" section of your Inbox.

It is possible that an Expert reaches out to you with a quote that doesn’t match your desired budget. If this happens, you can ask the Expert about their estimated quote and the work it includes if you decide to meet. You can always negotiate a smaller initial project with them and move to the rest of your requirements later.

Use the contact details in the proposal to book a call or send an email to learn more from the Expert.

Note that any messages you sent directly to Experts are located in the "Inquiries to Experts" section.

Alternatively, you can respond directly in the message conversation with the Expert on the marketplace.

Every proposal will have contact details you can use to learn more about the Expert and their offer. Typically, founders meet and discuss with two to four Experts before deciding how to proceed.

4. Close the request

Once you’ve found an Expert you’ll work with, close the request in your requests page. You will not receive further proposals on a closed request. Closed requests cannot be seen by Experts or other users on the search page. Closed listings cannot be indexed by search engines. You can continue existing conversations on closed lsitings.

You close a request on your requests overview page.

The Sharetribe team also closes old requests on the marketplace periodically, but the timeline for this is several weeks after the request was submitted.

If you didn’t find a suitable developer through the Sharetribe Experts Marketplace, contact the Sharetribe team through the contact widget in the bottom right corner of Console or by sending an email to hello@sharetribe.com to discuss your requirements. We’ll be happy to help you find a developer or designer among Sharetribe’s Experts.